Mozart's Starling

Even birders and naturalists like the author despise starlings as an invasive, aggressive and destructive species. But Haupt gets to thinking about the story of the composer Mozart being charmed by a starling and making it his pet. She knows there is a story behind it. Research into the story combined with turning a baby starling doomed for destruction and stolen from its nest her own pet make for a narrative nonfiction tale at its best. Part biography, part memoir, part natural history, this story explores topics like music, creative expression and bird/human relationships narrated way in a natural, straightforward style. Plus, how can you not love a book that suggests a connection between time stopping in fairy circles and music and still manages to come off scientific and well-researched?